Off Base

Name: Off Base
Author: Jake Maddox
ISBN: 9781663974976

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Jake Maddox

Jake Maddox; Jake Maddox JV Mysteries

Reading Level 3-4 LE · Mild · Emotional Ages 9-12 Matched Page-Turner

The text is written at a 3rd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material. Its HootRating code, LE, means mild content, mostly emotional.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Jayden is close to setting a new school record in baseball, but when he's wrongly blamed for cheating on a test, he must uncover who set him up. Teaming up with a school reporter, he searches for clues to prove his innocence before the season ends. Can Jayden clear his name and achieve his dream on the field?

Themes

Friendship Sports Mystery Coming of Age Family

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 3-4 book with mild content intensity. Content themes include bullying, fear & anxiety, mild peril. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Off Base LE (Mild)

Off Base is written at a Level 3-4 reading level across 96 pages (approximately 9,421 words). Reading-wise, most kids in grade 5 and up can manage Off Base on their own; younger readers can enjoy it with a parent or teacher reading along.

Read aloud, Off Base runs about 1.1 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate Off Base as LE (Mild, mostly emotional) because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Bullying, Fear & Anxiety, Mild Peril.

Thematically, Off Base explores friendship, sports, mystery, coming of age, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Reluctant readers who need fast-paced, hook-heavy stories to stay engaged.
✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about friendship, sports, mystery.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Jake Maddox; Jake Maddox JV Mysteries series.

Maybe not for

! Readers looking for something heavier — this is a gentle, low-stakes story by design.

For Parents

Content Intensity

LE · Mild · Emotional

Emotional

Mild ←

Physical

Mild

Social

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Light conflict or tension. Mild peril resolved quickly.